different between enlighten vs snarl

English

Etymology

Formerly also inlighten, from Middle English enlightenen, inlightnen, a hybrid formed from inlighten (“to enlighten, illuminate”), from Old English inl?htan, onl?htan, enl?hten (“to enlighten, illuminate, give light to, give sight to”) and lightnen (“to enlighten, illuminate”) (equivalent to light +? -en). Cognate with Dutch inlichten (“to enlighten, inform”), Old High German inliuhten (“to enlighten, illuminate”), Gothic ???????????????????????????????????????? (inliuhtjan, “to enlighten, illuminate”). More at inlight, -en.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?la?t?n/, /?n?la?t?n/, /?n?la?t?n/
• Rhymes: -a?t?n
• Hyphenation: en?light?en

Verb

enlighten (third-person singular simple present enlightens, present participle enlightening, simple past and past participle enlightened)

1. (transitive) To supply with light.

   Synonyms: illumine, illuminate; see also Thesaurus:illuminate

   Antonym: endarken

2. (transitive, figuratively) To make something clear to (someone); to give knowledge or understanding to.

   Synonyms: apprise, notify, inform

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sn??(?)l/
• Rhymes: -??(r)l

Etymology 1

From Middle English snarlen, frequentative of snaren (“to trap, tangle”). Equivalent to snare +? -le.

Verb

snarl (third-person singular simple present snarls, present participle snarling, simple past and past participle snarled)

1. (transitive) To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots.

   to snarl a skein of thread
2. (intransitive) To become entangled.
3. (transitive) To place in an embarrassing situation; to ensnare; to make overly complicated.
   • November 9, 1550, Hugh Latimer, Sermon Preached at Stanford

     [the] question that they would have snarled him with

4. (transitive, intransitive) To be congested in traffic, or to make traffic congested.
5. To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface.

Derived terms

• ensnarl
• unsnarl

Translations

Noun

snarl (plural snarls)

1. A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle.

   Synonym: entanglement

2. An intricate complication; a problematic difficulty; a knotty or tangled situation.
3. A slow-moving traffic jam.

Synonyms

• (entangled situation): imbroglio

Translations

Etymology 2

Frequentative of earlier snar (“to growl”), perhaps from Middle Low German snorren (“to drone”), of probably imitative origin. Equivalent to snar +? -le. Related to German schnarren (“to rattle”) and schnurren (“to hum, buzz”).

Verb

snarl (third-person singular simple present snarls, present participle snarling, simple past and past participle snarled)

1. (intransitive) To growl angrily by gnashing or baring the teeth; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds.
2. (transitive) To complain angrily; to utter growlingly.
3. (intransitive) To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms.

   • It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from which Virgil himself stands not exempted.

Derived terms

• snarling
• snarlingly

Translations

Noun

snarl (plural snarls)

1. The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
2. A growl, for example that of an angry or surly dog, or similar; grumbling sounds.
3. A squabble.

Derived terms

• snarl word

Translations

Further reading

• snarl in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• snarl in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• snarl at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “snarl”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• “snarl”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).

Anagrams

• larns

Icelandic

Etymology

Back-formation from snarla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s(t)nartl/
• Rhymes: -artl

Noun

snarl n (genitive singular snarls, no plural)

1. snack (light meal)

Declension

See also

• snakk